Disquiet is brewing in the Congress party of Kerala with reports coming out that some sections in the party had worked against the interests of the Congress-led ruling UDF in crucial constituencies in the 16th lok Sabha election for which polling was held in all the 20 seats in the State on April 10 and rival groups resuming efforts to gain prominence in the party.
Sources say that this disquiet may snowball into open protests against the high command’s culture of taking “unilateral decisions” on State party matters once the counting of votes is over on May 16. They also say that there is a huge trust deficit among the top State leaders and between several State leaders and the high command.
Varghese Philip Monayi, a former district Congress committee (DCC) member in Pathanamthitta, became the first casualty of charges of anti-party activities in the election when the DCC expelled him on Monday for “working” for lDF’s Independent candidate Peelipose Thomas, former district leader of the Congress, in Pathanamthitta.
After his expulsion was announced, Monayi said that proof would come out on May 16, the day of counting of votes, of how a large number of Congressmen had worked for Peelipose Thomas in the district. “Even the booth of DCC president P Mohanraj will be no exception,” he said while Mohanraj indicated that action was likely against more people.
Complaints on Congressmen working against UDF candidate have also come from the Idukki constituency where the party had refused ticket to sitting MP PT Thomas to field State Youth Congress president Dean Kuriakose. Sources in the Congress admit that top party leaders themselves had worked against Dean in Idukki in at least two Assembly segments.
“All such issues are going to reach a flashpoint immediately after May 16. In a sense, the impact of the explosion will be proportionate to the magnitude of defeat the UDF faces in the State. Such a situation would also lead to an intensification of the friction between certain State leaders and the high command,” said a senior Congress leader from Idukki.
Observers are of the opinion that the Congress in the State may witness tough fights between the ‘A’ group led by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and the ‘I’ group headed by Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala if the UDF tally fall below ten or 12 out of the total 20 seats with the two sides accusing each other of indulging in betrayal of party candidates in the election.
Rumours are rife in the State Congress circles that Chandy is preparing for a showdown with the high command after May 16. It is said that he may directly question the high command over its practice of parachuting candidates and party functionaries into the State if the Congress’s national tally does not cross 100 seats and if the UDF is able to bag more than 12 seats in Kerala.
Chandy — like his group rival Chennithala — is extremely irked by the act of Sonia Gandhi of appointing group-neutral senior leader VM Sudheeran as Kerala’s Congress president rejecting all proposals the State leaders had made. Also, Sonia had openly indicated that her act was intended at making Kerala’s party unit faction-free, indirectly blaming Chandy and Chennithala.
That Chandy has already started making moves in this direction is said to be apparent from his announcement that there will be a Cabinet reshuffle after the poll results are announced. While Chandy considers that Cabinet reshuffle is a matter of the Chief Minister’s prerogative, Sudheeran has complained that such a plan has not been discussed in the party.